Household Transmission of Tinea Infections: Analysis of a Large Commercial Health Insurance Claims Database, United States, 2021.

Among 207 914 multimember households with a tinea case, a secondary case was diagnosed in another household member in 8.5%. Excluding same-day diagnoses (20%), the median time from index case to first secondary case was 138 days. To prevent household tinea transmission, appropriate treatment and strategies to reduce environmental contamination are needed.

Potential Sexual Transmission of Tinea Pubogenitalis From TMVII.

This case report describes a patient with Trichophyton mentagrophytes internal transcribed spacer genotype VII resulting in tinea genitalis, glutealis, and corporis.

Clinical Course, Antifungal Susceptibility, and Genomic Sequencing of Trichophyton indotineae.

Importance: Trichophyton indotineae is an emerging dermatophyte causing outbreaks of extensive tinea infections often unresponsive to terbinafine. This species has been detected worldwide and in multiple US states, yet detailed US data on infections with T indotineae are sparse and could improve treatment practices and medical understanding of transmission. Objective: To correlate clinical features of T indotineae infections with in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing results, squalene epoxidase gene sequence variations, and isolate relatedness using whole-genome sequencing. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study of patients with T indotineae infections in New York City spanned May 2022 to May 2023. Patients with confirmed T indotineae infections were recruited from 6 New York City medical centers. Main Outcome and Measure: Improvement or resolution at the last follow-up assessment. Results: Among 11 patients with T indotineae (6 male and 5 female patients; median [range] age, 39 [10-65] years), 2 were pregnant; 1 had lymphoma; and the remainder were immunocompetent. Nine patients reported previous travel to Bangladesh. All had widespread lesions with variable scale and inflammation, topical antifungal monotherapy failure, and diagnostic delays (range, 3-42 months). Terbinafine treatment failed in 7 patients at standard doses (250 mg daily) for prolonged duration; these patients also had isolates with amino acid substitutions at positions 393 (L393S) or 397 (F397L) in squalene epoxidase that correlated with elevated terbinafine minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.5 µg/mL or higher. Patients who were treated with fluconazole and griseofulvin improved in 2 of 4 and 2 of 5 instances, respectively, without correlation between outcomes and antifungal minimum inhibitory concentrations. Furthermore, 5 of 7 patients treated with itraconazole cleared or had improvement at the last follow-up, and 2 of 7 were lost to follow-up or stopped treatment. Based on whole-genome sequencing analysis, US isolates formed a cluster distinct from Indian isolates. Conclusion and Relevance: The results of this case series suggest that disease severity, diagnostic delays, and lack of response to typically used doses and durations of antifungals for tinea were common in this primarily immunocompetent patient cohort with T indotineae, consistent with published data. Itraconazole was generally effective, and the acquisition of infection was likely in Bangladesh.

Methotrexate Use and Risk of Interstitial Lung Disease in Dermatomyositis.

This cohort study examines the association between methotrexate use and interstitial lung disease in patients with dermatomyositis.

GLP-1 agonists and hair loss: a call for further investigation.

The widespread adoption of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity has sparked investigations into their impact on hair health, an area characterized by diverse conjectures. Some propose potential risks such as disrupted hair growth cycles or premature androgenetic alopecia (AGA), while others suggest benefits linked to improved insulin sensitivity and enhanced scalp blood circulation. However, despite these theoretical underpinnings, clinical evidence linking GLP-1 agonists to hair loss remains sparse. The necessity for vigilant patient monitoring and collaborative efforts cannot be overstressed in comprehensively addressing any potential consequences of GLP-1 agonist therapy on hair health as their use continues to expand.

Clotrimazole-Betamethasone Dipropionate Prescribing for Nonfungal Skin Conditions.

This cross-sectional study identifies the common diagnoses and physician encounter types associated with clotrimazole-betamethasone dipropionate prescriptions among Medicare enrollees in 2021.

Hospitalization and Continuity of Care in Anti-MDA5 Dermatomyositis.

This cohort study describes the clinical features, patient characteristics, and treatment of anti-melanoma differentiation­associated gene 5 (MDA5) dermatomyositis.

Expert Panel Review of Skin and Hair Dermatophytoses in an Era of Antifungal Resistance.

Dermatophytoses are fungal infections of the skin, hair, and nails that affect approximately 25% of the global population. Occlusive clothing, living in a hot humid environment, poor hygiene, proximity to animals, and crowded living conditions are important risk factors. Dermatophyte infections are named for the anatomic area they infect, and include tinea corporis, cruris, capitis, barbae, faciei, pedis, and manuum. Tinea incognito describes steroid-modified tinea. In some patients, especially those who are immunosuppressed or who have a history of corticosteroid use, dermatophyte infections may spread to involve extensive skin areas, and, in rare cases, may extend to the dermis and hair follicle. Over the past decade, dermatophytoses cases not responding to standard of care therapy have been increasingly reported. These cases are especially prevalent in the Indian subcontinent, and Trichophyton indotineae has been identified as the causative species, generating concern regarding resistance to available antifungal therapies. Antifungal-resistant dermatophyte infections have been recently recognized in the United States. Antifungal resistance is now a global health concern. When feasible, mycological confirmation before starting treatment is considered best practice. To curb antifungal-resistant infections, it is necessary for physicians to maintain a high index of suspicion for resistant dermatophyte infections coupled with antifungal stewardship efforts. Furthermore, by forging partnerships with federal agencies, state and local public health agencies, professional societies, and academic institutions, dermatologists can lead efforts to prevent the spread of antifungal-resistant dermatophytes.

Autoimmune, Autoinflammatory Disease and Cutaneous Malignancy Associations with Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating cutaneous disease characterized by severe painful inflammatory nodules/abscesses. At present, data regarding the epidemiology and pathophysiology of this disease are limited. OBJECTIVE: To define the prevalence and comorbidity associations of HS. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of EPICTM Cosmos© examining over 180 million US patients. Prevalences were calculated by demographic and odds ratios (OR) and identified comorbidity correlations. RESULTS: All examined metabolism-related, psychological, and autoimmune/autoinflammatory (AI) diseases correlated with HS. The strongest associations were with pyoderma gangrenosum [OR 26.56; confidence interval (CI): 24.98-28.23], Down syndrome (OR 11.31; CI 10.93-11.70), and polycystic ovarian syndrome (OR 11.24; CI 11.09-11.38). Novel AI associations were found between HS and lupus (OR 6.60; CI 6.26-6.94) and multiple sclerosis (MS; OR 2.38; CI 2.29-2.48). Cutaneous malignancies were largely not associated in the unsegmented cohort; however, among Black patients, novel associations with melanoma (OR 2.39; CI 1.86-3.08) and basal cell carcinoma (OR 2.69; CI 2.15-3.36) were identified. LIMITATIONS: International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-based disease identification relies on coding fidelity and diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to identify correlations between HS with melanoma and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) among Black patients as well as MS and lupus in all patients with HS.

Clinical Characteristics of Erythema Nodosum and Associations With Chronicity and Recurrence.

This cohort study characterizes the presentation, causes, treatment, and disease course of erythema nodosum, as well as identifies associations with chronicity and recurrence.